


Clarity

by thebrightestbird



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Bisexual Jason Scott, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Humor, M/M, Pansexual Zack Taylor, Underage sexual content, discussion of sexuality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-11-28 10:42:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11416239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebrightestbird/pseuds/thebrightestbird
Summary: All alone in the Pit, Zack and Jason get to redo the moment they shared in the van the night they found the Power Coins.And they don't hold back.





	Clarity

**Author's Note:**

> Surprise, it's another fic with Jason and Zack getting together. BUT this one _starts_ with them kissing and even gets a little smutty, and then, yes, ends with them kissing too, but with a twist.
> 
> Warning for underage sexual situation.

Zack and Jason end up training in the Pit on a Friday night.

Jason usually finds himself here alone, unable to take not being physically occupied while his former teammates are out on the football field playing without him. He really doesn’t miss the pressure of game days, but he still has some lingering feelings of guilt. Punching Putties helps.

Zack was supposed to be working at one of his side jobs, but it fell through at the last minute. He was all dressed up in coveralls with nowhere to go, so he came here.

When left alone, Zack and Jason tend to get … _enthusiastic_ about their training. It’s a subconscious thing. They are constantly trying to one-up each other without knowing they’re doing it.

Especially Zack.

Tonight, the Black Ranger decides to strike one of his Putties by running up the wall and descending on it. He misses and, of course, lands on Jason.

Since Jason is in motion as Zack collides, they tumble a few times and come to a stop with Jason on top.

“What the _hell_ , Zack?! Are you crazy?!”

Zack, amid panting, starts giggling suddenly. The memory hits quickly, and without hesitation he says his part. “Yeah! I am!” and tugs on Jason’s shirt, forcing their faces even closer.

Jason doesn’t get what’s so funny at first, even starts thinking that maybe Zack really is going a bit mad. But after staring at the huge, knowing grin on his friend’s face, he too remembers the night in the van when they said those very same words.

And they start laughing.

Jason is the first to calm down and notice their proximity. In fact, Jason seems to have settled onto Zack even more while laughing. Zack’s propped up on his elbows, while Jason is practically sitting on his stomach.

They are so close. Probably closer than they were in the van. And there’s nothing like the car chase to distract them into separating since the failsafe in the Putty simulations forces them to disappear if there’s no interaction after a few seconds.

They could stay like this. If they wanted.

Zack is bending his head back to meet Jason’s hovering face. The thought of the other man breathing him in enters Jason’s mind, and he shudders.

“Dude, you all right?”

Jason feels a bit lightheaded, actually. It feels good being like this, laughing with his friend. Being so close, he notices – not for the first time – how handsome Zack is, even more so when he smiles. He can’t seem to vocalize his thoughts though. “I, uh, you’re still holding my shirt.”

They look down to see that Zack, indeed, has managed to keep ahold of Jason’s shirt. They look back at each other.

“I should let go,” Zack says, but it strangely sounds more like a question. He knits his brows in confusion when Jason doesn’t say anything immediately. They look each other in the eyes for a few more moments before Zack has the courage to ask, “What should I do, Jason?”

Not “dude” or “bro” or “boss man.” Zack says his name, and Jason gets brave too. “Do what you would have done that night in the van.”

Zack can’t help how his eyes widen at that. _He knows_ , he thinks with wonderment. Then Zack’s done with thinking because Jason Scott just gave him permission to make what previously was the most thrilling, intimate moment between them into something even more so.

Zack gives the shirt one hard tug, crashing Jason’s lips upon his. Jason grabs hold of the back of Zack’s head, providing a pillow so Zack’s arms can come up from the ground to wrap Jason tightly, molding him from lips to chests to waists.

Jason groans into Zack’s mouth, reveling in the amazing feeling of kissing the soft lips and being able to place his weight on the lean, warm body underneath. He’s in control of the kiss, but Zack gets bold quickly with his hands, moving them from the safe area of the middle of his back and sliding down to his ass. Jason didn’t think he could lose himself more, but then he lets his legs splay completely with Zack’s encouragement.

Jason lets up on his assault on Zack’s lips after a couple of minutes. Zack whines deep in his throat because, sure, he was being crushed and smothered by Jason, but what a way to die. Luckily, Jason doesn’t completely lift his head, instead hovering his lips over Zack’s to allow them to catch their breaths and gasp gulps of air. Catching Zack’s eyes, Jason peeks his tongue out and licks Zack’s lips to encourage him to open his mouth wider. Zack catches on quickly, letting his tongue out to slide against Jason’s.

And just like that everything ramps back up. Zack leaves one hand on Jason’s ass while moving the other up Jason’s back and under his shirt, feeling the warm expanse of skin. Jason gasps his name from the feeling of the calloused hand scraping upward to his shoulder blades.

Jason pulls Zack up and disengages his lips, making Zack open his eyes to give the Red Ranger a questioning look, moving his hands to Jason’s hips to keep himself in a mostly upright position. Jason doesn’t say anything, simply pulls up and off his T-shirt and gets back to attacking Zack’s mouth. Zack almost wants to stop the kissing so he can get a look at the half-naked man on his lap, but Jason sits his weight back on him and grinds down, and yeah, no way is Zack stopping this. He makes his hands his eyes though, feeling up the impossibly toned torso and pecs, resting on his shoulders and using his strength to get Jason to grind down again.

Jason knocks his hands away after a minute of hard, synchronous movements and panting into each other’s mouths to work on Zack’s coverall buttons. Luckily, they’re the kind you just click together, so Jason basically rips open the fabric without doing any damage. His urgency throws Zack off his game so much that he can’t register he’s going to have to help Jason get the coveralls off, simply concentrating on kissing Jason stupid. Apparently, he’s quite effective because the other man can’t muster the coordination needed to slide off the coveralls from Zack’s shoulders and just shoves his hands under the material to grip Zack under his arms, fisting the back of his tight undershirt.

Then they hear Billy’s “Oh, my God, I can’t be seeing that!” accompanied by Trini’s “HOLY SHIT!” and Kimberly’s ~~impressed~~ simple “whoa.”

Jason practically flies off Zack and scrambles even further from him in the dirt. He quickly grabs his shirt and runs out to the water entrance.

Zack can only sit there, stunned.

Trini looks down at her silent best friend and realizes that this whole thing isn’t just embarrassing for all five of them.

It’s something fragile between Jason and Zack.

She turns to Billy and Kimberly. “You guys talk to J. I’ll take care of Z.”

They nod in agreement and go after Jason.

||

Jason put his shirt back on before jumping up into the water. Now he’s mindlessly pulling it in a motion to make it air-dry quicker as he paces the edge of the chasm to the command center.

His brain isn’t supplying him with any insightful thoughts at the moment. Just _shit, shit, shit_ and _oh, God, what just happened?_

He … was making out with Zack Taylor. If they hadn’t been interrupted, the two of them probably would have gone pretty far on the ground of the Pit. It was like nothing else he’d ever experienced with another person. The rush and the heat, Zack’s strong arms …

Jason’s thoughts are interrupted by the sounds of shuffling over the side of the chasm, alerting him that he’d been followed out. The Pink and Blue Rangers climb out at the same time and zero in on Jason immediately.

“Hey, Jason, don’t run again!” Billy shouts.

The way Jason turns away from them, it probably looked like that was what he was about to do. And, yeah, he entertained the thought, but he feels like he needs to talk to his friends more than hide from the knowledge that they saw him in a very scandalous position just a few minutes ago. He runs a hand through his wet hair and turns back around as they approach him.

They must suddenly remember what they witnessed down in the Pit when he looks at them because they kind of look sideways for a few seconds, unable to look him in the eyes. Kimberly clears her throat. “Uh, so, this is a new development,” she says, diplomatically.

Jason snorts.

“Congratulations?” Billy ventures.

Jason just snorts harder but blushes too.

“Talk to us, Jas,” Kim says. “You running away like that has to be about more than embarrassment. What’s going on with you and Zack?”

Jason clenches his jaw and swallows hard. “ _That_ ,” he waves a hand toward the chasm, “was the first time we had done anything. Kissing, anything.”

“Have you two been dating?” Billy asks.

“No.”

“Talked about dating?” Kim asks.

“No.”

“Then how did,” Billy makes a similar gesture to Jason’s, “ _that_ happen?”

“I, um, I didn’t seriously think it would happen, but I’ve wanted something like that to happen for, um, a while now.”

Billy and Kim suddenly get dopey smiles and breathe out “awww’s.”

Jason rolls his eyes.

“You’ve been pining for Zack?” Billy says, giving a quick happy clap.

“Oh, my God, this is better than one of our Korean soap operas,” Kim says, turning to Billy.

“But what about _Love’s Gift Is Clarity_ when Dong-gun and Chang-mi finally get together after Dong-gun leaves his life at the monastery to save Chang-mi, who is kind of his adoptive but maybe not half-sister, from the gangster life her conglomerate-owning father is trying to entrap her in by betrothing her to the drug-addicted K-Pop singer-actor, but after Dong-gun and Chang-mi escape together, Chang-mi gets a brain tumor and dies on their wedding night?”

“You’re right,” Kim nods her head. “Zack and Jason’s love story’s pretty lame in comparison.”

“Oi,” Jason squawks, indignantly, “guys, focus. You’re jumping the gun here. We just made out. And, God, I really hope Zack and I don’t end up being that epically sad.”

“At least you can be relatively sure that you and Zack aren’t blood relatives,” Billy reasons.

Kim again nods in agreement.

“That’s little consolation because I probably won’t get to do,” Jason again waves his hand, “ _that_ again with him.”

Billy squints in confusion. “What? Why wouldn’t you?”

Jason huffs in frustration. “Zack could have anyone. And he’s a flirt, and he’s impulsive. He was just living in the moment.”

Billy and Kim look at each other in disbelief.

“Jason, you seriously think Zack doesn’t want to be with you?” Kim asks.

“He hasn’t said anything or made a move since that night we crashed the van. Zack’s not shy. I’m pretty sure he would have tried again by now.”

“Okay, uh, Jason? I have a theory about that, and I don’t have proof, but from what I’ve observed of you, I think Zack probably was thinking the same thing about you that I was, and that might explain why he hasn’t asked you out.”

“What is it, Billy?”

Billy takes in a breath. “I thought you only liked girls.”

Kim pops out a “yup.”

Jason shifts his focus between the two, his mouth hanging open. “Oh.”

“Like you said, Jason, Zack’s a flirt,” Kim says, “but he respects others’ boundaries with this kind of thing. Remember how he was with Trini? The moment he realized her situation, he stopped hitting on her, no questions asked.”

“But why would you all just assume I’m straight? Bisexual wasn’t even a consideration?”

“Everyone knows you dated Katie Peeler for a few months last year,” Billy explains, “and there’s an unfair assumption of heterosexuality that comes with being a high-caliber, male athlete. Plus, there’s the way you stare at Kimberly sometimes despite you two’s mutual decision to just be friends.”

Kim gives Jason a knowing smirk.

Jason blushes, then sighs in frustration and looks up at the sky. “I really didn’t mean to closet myself. I guess the whole being bisexual thing was more of a concept in my head because I hadn’t met another guy who seemed worth trying anything with.”

“Until Zack,” Kim says, still smirking.

A smile automatically blossoms on Jason’s face from just hearing his name. “Yeah.”

“You should go back down there to talk to him, Jason,” Billy advises. “You might have been subtle with how you feel about him, but Zack, well, he’s, um, he’s not really-”

“Zack’s about as subtle as a brick to the head,” Kim finishes.

Billy nods his head vigorously. “He hasn’t been holding back with how much he looks up to you. He’s gonna be upset.”

Guilt flares in Jason. He looks out into the chasm and can’t help but remember when they all first gathered here. Zack was the first to leap in to go after Billy, knowing the thrill of something new awaits.

Jason, spurred by the usual flutter he gets when remembering those kinds of moments with Zack, thinks he needs to follow the crazy boy’s example now. He leaps forward.

||

Trini crouches behind Zack, who’s still sitting in the dirt, wraps her arms around his neck, and plops her chin on top of his head. “Hey, Homeboy.”

He huffs. “Hey, Crazy Girl.”

“Talk to me?”

“What’s to talk about?” He starts buttoning his coveralls back up. “He ran away.”

“He probably just panicked with us walking in like that. Remember when you almost caught me and Kim? I still punched you.”

“And I didn’t even see anything! Does this mean I get to punch you back now?”

Trini thinks seriously for a moment. Of course, she’s not going to let him punch her (not that he really would), but she owes him some kind of atonement. “You can drive Selena.” Selena is the name she gave her Zord.

“You serious?”

“Just around the mountain! It’s not like you can take her for a joy ride into town.”

“Thanks,” Zack snorts. “Wow, I guess I have to survive this mortification and heartbreak now.”

“Seriously, though, you guys can just talk this out. What makes you think this was your one and only chance with Jason?”

Zack suddenly shoves up to stand. “This wasn’t planned, obviously. I kind of literally jumped him, not to do _that_ , but it just happened. And we were so close, and it was so similar to what happened between us in the van the night we found the coins. And Jason, he knew I wanted to kiss him then. And we were just so pumped up on adrenaline tonight and laughing, and Jason’s too good and he let me kiss him like he knew I wanted.”

He stops to take a breath and Trini uses the pause to interrupt him. “You think he took pity on you?”

Zack doesn’t respond, just deflates visibly.

“Zack, have you ever really had trouble hooking up with anyone you wanted?”

“Uhhh,” he thinks back, “well …”

“No,” Trini answers for him. “No, you haven’t. Everyone wants in your pants. What makes Jason being into you so unbelievable?”

Zack scratches the back of his head, sheepishly. “Well, I thought he was solidly straight before tonight.”

“Now you know he’s not. And sorry to remind you that I saw this, but fearless leader did not look like he was suffering while he was on top of you practically swallowing your tongue.”

Zack flushes and thinks back to the two of them together on the ground of the Pit. Fuck, it had been amazing. She wasn’t wrong about how into it – into _him_ – Jason had seemed. “You think he could really like me?”

The Yellow Ranger sighs and softens her tone. “I know Jason’s a great guy. The way he’s there for us and leads us against whatever shit Rita throws at us week after week is incredible. But you’re there right along with us, fighting with everything you’ve got.” She grabs hold of one of his hands. “Jason’s a hero. He really is. But so are _you_.”

Zack doesn’t look at her, but Trini can see a smile on his lips. Without warning, he scoops her up into a hug, spinning her around a bit. Trini giggles into his neck.

Once he puts her down, she looks up at the dark brown eyes of her best friend. “You deserve the person you want, Z. You and Jason deserve each other.”

||

They reach the water entrance just in time to see Jason drop down to the ground in a superhero landing. He gets up, shaking the water from his hair, and mutters to himself about all the laundry he has to do nowadays.

He stops mid-wring of the bottom of his T-shirt when he notices Zack and Trini. “Uh, hi.”

Trini snorts. “Real smooth, Red.” She walks right up to him. “I’m gonna split, but I wanted to make sure you know something before I go.” She looks him in the eyes. “I respect you a lot, and I really care about you, J.”

Jason blinks in surprise. “I, uh, thanks, Trini. I feel the same.”

“Cool,” she nods, “but if you hurt Homeboy over there,” pointing to Zack for emphasis, “I will skewer you with your Power Sword and drop your body into Mariner Bay for the fish to devour.”

Without another word to either of them, Trini jumps up into the water, leaving them no chance to avoid the backsplash.

Jason has given up on ever being dry again.

Zack takes pity on him and gets some towels from the stash they keep close by (they brought a load down in vacuum-sealed bags). He was going to just hand Jason one, but …

Everything suddenly goes dark for Jason because Zack completely covers his face and starts vigorously running a towel over his head. He snorts and grins, waiting for Zack to finish.

“There,” Zack removes the towel with a flourish. “I work sometimes at the specialty car wash, so I can assure you, I can hand-dry anything.”

Jason’s grin gets bigger. “I’ll trust your work is flawless.”

“Do you need to be waxed now?”

Jason can’t stifle a laugh. “Shut it, you dope. I’m supposed to be down here apologizing.”

Zack turns bashful real quick, turning around to walk away from the water. Jason follows.

They walk back to the Pit.

“What, uh, part of tonight are you apologizing for?” Zack asks, looking down at his foot shifting a small rock around.

Jason takes a deep breath. “Running out. That’s the only part, Zack. I’m sorry I ran away after the others saw us.”

Zack partially looks up, biting his lower lip, and Jason takes in how vulnerable he is. The wrongness of it hits him.

Jason moves slowly into Zack’s space and brings his hands up to grip the towel around his shoulders, tugging him until they’re pretty much chest to chest.

“We probably should have talked before we started doing,” Jason yet again vaguely waves, this time in the direction of the space they made out in, “ _that_ , but I don’t regret what we were doing. And I would like to get back to _that_ , so why don’t we just tell each the short versions and save the longer stuff,” Zack finally brings his arms up to wrap around Jason and starts nuzzling the side of Jason’s face, “for, uh, for la-later. Def-definitely later.”

Zack smirks into Jason’s cheek. “Good thinking, boss man,” he says, low and throaty. “I’ll start.” He pulls back a little to look at Jason’s face. “You know I’ve wanted you since the start, right?” Jason nods. “But I guess you didn’t know I never stopped?” He shakes his head. “I’m not exactly subtle, Jason. How?”

The Red Ranger huffs. “Billy and Kim pretty much wondered the same thing.” Zack smiles at the mention of their friends. “In my defense, you flirted but you kept your distance.” The other man looks away at the criticism. Jason can’t have that. He brings a hand up to Zack’s cheek to guide him back to looking at him. “My turn,” he says, giving Zack a wry smile. “I’m bi. I’m sorry I wasn’t open about that. I just didn’t think it mattered since I was convinced you had moved on. But I’ve done a crap job of showing you how much I admire you, Zack, and that was probably part of why you stayed away. I’m so sorry-”

Zack cuts him off with a quick kiss. “Nope, no more apologies. That’s not all on you.” He gives another, more lingering kiss. “I think I’m good with talking for now, hmm?”

Jason looks back at him with half-lidded eyes, brain already foggy with just a few kisses. “I’m good, yeah,” and he dives back into Zack’s mouth like earlier in the Pit.

They manage to maneuver themselves to the wall without breaking apart, Zack pinning Jason and controlling the kiss this time.

An “ahem” booms out of nowhere. Hearing the throat-clearing sound seems pretty ridiculous because Zordon doesn’t even have a throat, and-

_OH, SHIT, ZORDON KNOWS WHAT THEY’RE DOING!_

Zack and Jason separate like they’d been electrocuted.

“Uh, gentlemen,” Zordon starts, hesitantly, “I am very happy for the two of you, but there is only so much I can do to block your … activities from my awareness.”

Both men don’t dare say anything for a minute, their faces contorted into silent screams.

“Rest assured,” Zordon continues, “Alpha 5 is working on erasing all knowledge of tonight’s events from our memory banks.”

“Yeah, fellas,” Alpha’s voice invades the cavernous space, “believe me, I would happily pour bleach on our circuits if it were that simple, but I’m working on it. Congrats, you two!”

Jason dares to respond. “Th-thanks, uh, Alpha.”

“Get out of here, boys,” Zordon flatly demands.

Zack finally snaps out of it. “Yep, we’re leaving! No worries, Zordon. Your voice sounds great tonight, by the way.” He grabs Jason’s hand. “Peace out!”

They run back to the entrance, maniacal, giddy laughter bursting from them as they go, holding hands even as they jump back up into the water.

-end-

**Author's Note:**

> Hope this one was fun and sweetly sexy. Thanks for reading!


End file.
